Our Why
From our beginning in 2016 with a single plant in Madison, Wisconsin, ePac was created with a mission to provide locally-based consumer packaged goods companies with the ability to grow with great packaging, and be accretive to the communities we serve. Today, ePac serves thousands of brands of all sizes across the globe, enabling greater flexibility, sustainability, and faster time to market.
ePac Core Values:
Provide exceptional customer service
Help our customers grow
Support the communities and local businesses we serve
Develop sustainable solutions for our environment
Leadership Team
ePac’s leadership team is mix of highly successful industry veterans with complementary skill sets.
Virag Patel, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Virag Patel is the Co-Founder and CEO of ePac Flexible Packaging, a pioneering force in digital flexible packaging production. Under his leadership, ePac has revolutionized the industry with its innovative “plant in a box” model, enabling scalable manufacturing solutions globally. This unique approach has successfully bridged the gap between emerging brands and established retailers, driving local economic growth while meeting global market demands.
Prior to becoming CEO, Virag served as COO, spearheading ePac’s global expansion and building its operational infrastructure. With over 25 years of flexible packaging expertise, including senior roles at Exopack and Coveris, and experience leading M&A advisory at Arion Partners, Virag brings a wealth of knowledge in the packaging sector. He holds a BS in Finance from Clemson University and an MBA in International Business from Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Bill Fefe, Chief Financial Officer
Bill Fefe is an accomplished Chief Financial Officer with 34 years of experience in global finance, accounting and strategic management, including national public accounting firms. In his current role at ePac Flexible Packaging, Bill oversees all financial operations, including accounting, treasury, tax, and FP&A. In addition, Bill oversees Human Resources.
Throughout his career, Bill has held key CFO, corporate controller and other executive roles at several high-growth companies, where he managed financial strategies and operations that supported rapid expansion. His expertise in leading financial teams across multiple geographies has been instrumental in optimizing financial performance and facilitating global strategic growth initiatives. Bill holds a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting, cum laude, from the University of Maryland (Frostburg) and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Former Roles include Global VP of FP&A Euclid Visions Systems, CFO of Meso Scale Diagnostics and Corporate Controller Roles at Qiagen and Development Alternatives Inc.
Parag Patel, President of Technical Services
Parag Patel is a technology-driven problem-solver who has dedicated his career to creating transformative solutions across a variety of industries. By focusing on customer experience and tackling customers’ challenges head-on, Parag has consistently delivered innovative solutions in sectors ranging from groceries to clothing to automotive accessories—resulting in significant sales growth. His approach emphasizes collaboration, making engineering a true business partner by understanding every aspect of the business—from finance and sales to production, marketing, and service. (Just don’t call him the “IT guy”!)
Before joining ePac in 2017 as CIO, Parag spent 14 years as the CIO/CTO of AutoAnything, where he helped lead the company through its acquisition by AutoZone in 2012. Prior to that, he worked at several internet startups, following his early career at PRC (MLS) and AT&T. Parag holds a BS in Computer Engineering from Clemson University and is also fluent in German as he was born in Germany and spent the first 16 years there.
Steffen Reichert, Chief Technology Officer
Steffen Reichert is the Chief Technology Officer at ePac Flexible Packaging. He is a proven leader who cultivates a culture of innovation by empowering his software engineering teams. His expertise spans the entire software development lifecycle, from requirements analysis and architectural design to seamless deployment and ongoing support, using advanced backend and frontend technologies to build scalable, high-performance applications and web services.
As a creative and adaptable problem-solver, he consistently delivers sophisticated solutions that surpass conventional approaches, drawing upon a deep understanding of software engineering best practices and a comprehensive mastery of programming languages. Since joining ePac in 2017, he has spearheaded the development of the ePacOne platform, managing complex integrations, performing in-depth business analysis, and collaborating closely with stakeholders to deliver tailored, globally scalable solutions and ensuring exceptional customer service. Steffen holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Technologies from the University of Applied Science Wuerzburg, Germany.
Christopher Ploessl, Vice President US Operations
Christopher Ploessl is Vice President of US Operations at ePac, where he leads and oversees US production activities. With over 20 years of experience in the flexible packaging industry, Christopher has a proven track record of operational excellence and a comprehensive understanding of the entire plastic bag manufacturing process. His tenure at ePac includes serving as General Manager, providing him with invaluable insights into the company’s operations.
Prior to ePac, Christopher held roles at Milprint, Exopack, and Coveris, gaining extensive experience in R&D, marketing, operations, and global sales. He is a recognized expert in the field, possessing deep knowledge of all stages of production, from order entry and printing to lamination, slitting, and pouching. Christopher is a go-to resource within ePac for production process expertise. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Composite Materials Engineering from Winona State University.
Jeff Jacobs, Vice President of Marketing
Jeff Jacobs is the Vice President, Marketing at ePac Flexible Packaging, where he heads the marketing department, overseeing global brand marketing, digital lead generation, strategic planning, and partnership development. He has over 23 years of experience working in a variety of marketing, branding, and design agencies with some of the leading CPG, grocery store, and technology companies in the world, including brands like Whole Foods, Samsung, Publix, Walmart, Frito Lay, Gatorade, and Stacies.
Jeff has spent the majority of his career developing marketing and advertising campaigns, creating in-store experiences, and defining brands before moving client-side to an established CPG brand prior to his current role at ePac. He has also worked and consulted with startups across the country and is an advisor to a number of CPG startups. He holds the record for most tracks as a mentor for SKU, the nation’s leading CPG accelerator program specially designed for early-stage consumer product companies. He has a B.S. in Business and Marketing from Indiana University and a Masters from The Ohio State University.
Alex Garner, Head of Sales
Alex Garner is the Head of Sales – US at ePac. Alex has an extensive background in packaging, manufacturing and CPG. Before joining ePac, Alex held sales leadership roles at ConAgra Brands, Thanasi Foods and Coca Cola. After departing Coca-Cola, Alex launched Yumix, a ready to mix cocktail drink. Yumix featured a two part PET bottle, allowing consumers to mix their favorite cocktail at the time of consumption. The Yumix bottle received one patent and won multiple packaging awards. Yumix obtained nation-wide distribution deals with Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits and Walmart.
Since assuming the Head of Sales role at ePac, Alex drove a complete sales restructuring with a goal of improving team collaboration and individual performance. One of the most significant accomplishments of the restructuring was the formation of an inside sales team with an outbound focus. Utilizing a transformational leadership style, Alex excels at culture building and strategic execution. He holds a Bachelors of Business Administration in Business Management from the University of Texas at San Antonio.
George Boustani, General Manager of Canada
George is an accomplished and results-driven executive with extensive experience in financial leadership, operations management, and strategic planning across multiple industries, including manufacturing, technology, video gaming, and energy. Currently serving as the Managing Director overseeing operations at three manufacturing facilities in Canada. George brings a proven track record of optimizing business processes, improving financial performance, and leading cross-functional teams to success. Previously, as Senior Director of Financial Planning and Analysis at Sierra Wireless, he drove key financial strategies and provided valuable insights to support decision-making at a global high-tech company.
Earlier in his career, he was a Manager of Financial Planning and Analysis at Electronic Arts, where he played a pivotal role in managing budgeting and forecasting for the gaming studio division. His expertise also extends to corporate accounting and audit, having worked as a Corporate Accounting Manager at Methanex Corporation and a Senior Audit Associate at PwC, where he gained deep experience in financial reporting and regulatory compliance. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of British Columbia, he was also a member of the British Columbia Institute of Chartered Accountants for over 25 years.
Dave Long, Vice President of Product and Market Development
Dave holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and brings 34 years of flexible packaging expertise to his role. During his work at Exopack and subsequently Coveris, TC Transcontinental and Hood Packaging, he held diverse positions including the areas of Quality Management, Plant Management, Account Management, Procurement, Product Development, and Market Development.
Through these years, he had also obtained certifications in ASQ Quality Management and Six Sigma Black belt. This experience provided him with an in-depth understanding of every aspect of the packaging industry, from operational solutions to customer interfaces to developing market expansion plans. Dave has worked with everything from paper packaging, to wovens to plastic packaging, so it is ok to call him the “bag guy”. Dave currently heads ePac’s R&D team, Quality and Compliance team and also assists ePac in the safety management area.
Nami Richardson, Senior Director of HR
Nami Richardson is the Senior Director of Human Resources, where she oversees and implements strategic planning initiatives to foster a high-performing culture. Her responsibilities encompass a number of aspects, including HR operations, policy development, employee relations, talent acquisition, performance management, and compliance. With over 25 years of experience, Nami is a seasoned HR leader with a proven track record of driving organizational success through collaborative leadership strategies and boosts employee engagement and retention.
Nami also possesses a strong background in optimizing people operations, having successfully led change management initiatives during acquisitions and spearheaded innovative HR processes that automate onboarding, offboarding, and performance management. Her collaborative and strategic approach has consistently yielded operational efficiencies without sacrificing quality service. Nami holds a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Chapman University, a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Alliant University, and holds the Senior Professional in HR (SPHR) and Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) certifications, among other professional designations.
Sanjit Menezes, Vice President of Supply Chain / Managing Director ANZ
Sanjit Menezes joined ePac in 2021 as Managing Director of International Strategies to oversee operations in Asia Pacific and took on responsibility for the Supply Chain function in 2022 overseeing sourcing, procurement, inventory management and logistics. Sanjit is an accomplished supply chain leader with a history of developing and implementing data-driven supply chain strategies to optimize costs, quality, service levels and stakeholder relationships, and driving transformational change across a number of organizations. He has worked globally with companies across a wide range of industries including Technology, Oil & Gas, Retail, Packaging, Equipment Manufacturing, Financial Services & Mining.
Sanjit began his career in finance at Bank of America, but has spent over 25 years in Supply Chain. Prior to joining ePac he was the Founder & Principal at Rensan and EVP at Anklesaria Group. Sanjit has published articles in leading journals and is the author of the book Strategic Category Management: From Sourcing to Price, Risk and Relationship Management in the Supply Chain. Sanjit holds a Master’s in International Business from the University of San Diego, a Bachelors in Business Administration & Taxation from Bangalore University and is a Certified Management Accountant.
